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Rose Heichelbech

There are many slang terms that got used and invented during WWI in every division of the armed forces. Servicemen employed all manner of phrases to describe the life they were living, from commentary on field rations to conversational styles. Some of these terms made it into everyday speech while some never caught on outside of military life. Here are 30 slang terms from WWII servicemen, some of which you already know!

Jeep: the famous Army vehicle got its name from the slurring of the acronym G.P. (stands for general or government purpose).

Lay an egg: to drop a bomb.

Mickey Mouse movies: instructional films about hygiene.

O.A.O: a serviceman’s one and only girl.

Pineapple: grenade.

Pocket lettuce: paper money.

Roll up your flaps: stop talking.

Sandpaper the anchor: to do unnecessary work.

Shingle: a piece of toast.

Tin pickle: submarine or torpedo.

Walkie-talkie: portable radio unit.

Wilco: I will comply.

Zombie: soldier on the lowest rung of the Army classification system.

Of course you know quite a few of these already, not only because many made it into everyday conversations, but because our dads and uncles used these terms quite often. Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below. And click here to check out some civilian slang!